Post subject: American Woman married to a Pakistani reverts back to Christ

My name is Mary. My husband is from Pakistan and was raised as a muslim and came to America in 1993 to further his education. We met in high school. He was a senior and I was a freshman at that time. Our love developed and eventually we got married. Being that he was muslim I felt a lot of pressure to abandon my christian up bringing. I half heartily converted to Islam to appease him and his family. It was a miserable choice!!! The more I studied Islam the more confused I became about how does one attain salvation. It seemed very hopeless.

About two years into our marriage I met a wonderful Christian woman by the name of Elizabeth. She worked with me and just was so kind and caring. She seemed to have so much peace about her. I finally decided I just couldn't continue living the way I was. We had a daughter and I also didn't want to raise her as a muslim. I started listening to christian radio and reading many books about Christ. I would remember verses from my childhood that would just pop into my head as if from nowhere. I know now that was from the Lord. My husband found out that I was secretly attending church and he was furious. He became abusive towards me and I told him I would give up my christian ways. I felt sad because I knew I couldn't go on the way I was living and yet I loved my husband and didn't want to lose him either. So I decided to pretend to be a muslim and still hold on to Jesus.

Many years past and we had a son in 2000. He was so beautiful. At his one year birthday he had a health check-up and the doctor was alarmed to find his liver was enlarged. She sent us immediately to St. Joseph's Hospital for more tests. After the ultrasound of his abdomen the doctors discovered he had a tumor the size of a large grapefruit growing in his right kidney. It was called "Wilms Tumor". It was a type of kidney cancer. It shook our family to the core. I felt so angry with God. I didn't want to believe in anything anymore. I was just going through the motions of life. Just to try to get through the day with my son being so ill seemed like I had run a marathon. It was very exhausting emotionally. All along behind the scenes my mother and father were having their church pray for my son's health to improve.

Thank God he brought him through all the chemo and surgeries. I always felt like their wasn't anytime to feel or think much during that year. I fell into a deep depression once my son was fully recovered and finished with chemo. Everyone else was so happy and praising God and I just felt numb. I finally went to a clinic for my severe depression. I finally came to the realization that I couldn't go on without putting God completely in charge of my life. I didn't want to hide from my husband my true feelings about my relationship with Jesus any longer. I just prayed to God and told him I didn't know what was going to happen, but I was trusting him to carry me through the heartache a head.

I tell you God has answered that prayer of mine and so many more. We now have a total of four beautiful children. Two years ago my husband accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior. Since then he has changed so much. I ask you for your prayers for my husband's family. He has not told them about his new found faith. I think he is afraid of hurting their feelings. His family is very religious and they still live in Pakistan.